Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to an oil flush toilet system that can operate independently from existing waste treatment infrastructure. More specifically, the present invention comprises a self-contained, environmentally friendly, and efficient oil flush toilet enclosed within a stand-alone unit that does not require any external sewage connections in order to operate and treat waste. Waste is collected in a commode style structure, treated, and then removed periodically while the treated byproducts are exhausted. The unit requires only an electrical connection and periodic maintenance for sustained operation.
Most indoor toilets are permanent fixtures connected through a plumbing network to a wastewater treatment system managed by a local municipality. Sewage from the residential or commercial buildings transfers from the toilet and into sewage pipes that route the wastewater for external treatment at a dedicated facility. This modern system has proven to be an effective solution for managing large quantities of wastewater in a developed area, but its operation has some inherent drawbacks.
The first of these is the limitation that conventional toilets must be connected to an existing sewage system. This requires infrastructure dedicated to the collection and treatment of wastewater. In certain rural and developing parts of the world, the necessary infrastructure for permanent, indoor plumbing is lacking. This creates potential problems for the local population as there is no system to remove waste from the local area. Untreated waste near living areas creates a public health hazard for the populous and an environmental concern for the local habitat.
Another drawback to conventional flush toilets relates to plumbing systems in high rise buildings and the necessary energy required to operate these systems. Conventional toilets utilize a considerable amount of water to remove waste from the building. For high rise buildings, the water is pumped to the higher floors for circulation of the water and subsequent removal of the waste. The energy required to pump the water up many stories can quickly become significant and require several pumps in order to operate successfully. Operation of this type of system in extremely tall buildings comes at a great expense in terms of energy and in terms wasted water, which is inefficient for the building owner and inefficient in terms of energy consumption.
Yet another drawback to most conventional toilet systems is their excessive water consumption. In conventional sewage treatment systems, the flush or transport medium is water, which represents 90 to 98 percent of the total volume of the sewage being handled. This consumption of fresh water is wasteful of natural resource, where fresh water has become ever more valuable in large regions of the world. The fresh water is used as both a transport medium and a means to block foul odors from exiting the toilet during use. However, the ever growing demands for fresh water makes this use less appealing, where the fresh water could otherwise be utilized for human consumption, agriculture, or for commercial applications.
Finally, most conventional toilet systems pose an inherent risk to the environment in terms of potential contamination of the local area with untreated or escaping wastewater. Even with existing infrastructure to treat mass volumes of sewage, the distance between waste collection areas and treatment centers introduces the risk of contamination into the local environment. Furthermore, if the wastewater is not subsequently treated correctly before being discharged into a local waterway, the waterway and surrounding environment will be adversely impacted. This can result in health risks and have an impact on the local environment.
The present invention pertains to a self-contained toilet system that utilizes a reusable oil flush medium. The unit is compact and requires no connection to an existing sewage line. Rather than using water as a medium to transport waste, a mineral oil is utilized, which can be readily separated from the sewage within the toilet unit and without external processing. When the terms “sewage” or “waste” are used herein they are meant to describe any of the typical forms of waste matter generally encountered in sewage handling systems, including human excreta, paper, cigarette butts and the like. The oil flush medium cleans the toilet bowl and carries the waste below the toilet and into a separate chamber, wherein it is aerobically biodegraded and the waste is liquefied for discharge to an evaporator or other disposal means.
Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to toilet systems and means of processing wastewater. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications, and generally relate to larger systems for processing waste or for oil flush toilets of diverging purpose. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
Systems with reusable media have been previously disclosed wherein the flush media is of a density different from that of the sewage. U.S. Pat. No. 3,673,614 to Robert W. Claunch and assigned to Chrysler Corporation, as well as and U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,528 to Robert W. Claunch and assigned to Chrysler Corporation describe systems that have been successfully developed and used in the field with success. The systems described in these patents eliminate the use of water as a flush as a flush medium for sewage waste and substitute a reusable medium. The reusable flush medium is substantially immiscible with water and of a sufficient difference in density from that of water and other sewage waste to permit physical separation of the sewage from the flush medium. The medium is also chemically stable under the operating conditions of the sewage facility and in the presence of sewage waste.
In these systems, the flush medium is supplied to a point of use, such as an ordinary toilet commode or urinal, and then flushed with any waste received through a sewer line into a separation tank. In the separating tank, because of its difference in density, the flush medium rises above the waste to float on it and an interface forms between the point of contact between the medium and the sewage waste. Liquid flush medium floating on the waste in the separation tank is preferably passed through a suitable filter means and into a fluid circulation system for reuse. The circulation system preferably includes a pressurized storage tank or accumulator equipped with a pressure switch means which automatically activates a pump in the circulation system when the pressure in the accumulator drops below a preset minimum. The waste collects at the bottom of the separating tank until a sufficient quantity has accumulated to activate an automatic transfer means. Waste is then transferred from the separating tank into a waste receiving means, such as a catch tank, holding tank, incinerator, aerobic digester or the like. After a given quantity of the waste has been transferred the transfer means automatically stops and the accumulation of waste in the lower part of the separation tank starts again. The transfer means prevents carryover of sewage waste with the flush medium when it is removed from the separating tank An electrical control system including floats and switches is used in the patented system to activate the transfer means at appropriate times for controlling the volume of waste and flush medium retained in the separating tank. The '528 patent improved the original '614 device by eliminating the need for a grinder waste pump with level sensors and switches. This new embodiment provided for automatic discharge of partially digested liquefied waste to a remote holding tank or treatment means.
The present invention provides a new oil-flush toilet system that is provided within a self-contained unit, wherein the waste is collected and preconditioning for transfer to an external disposal means, wherein the collection and preconditioning takes place in a one container. The toilet bowl, the toilet seat, the flush fluid pump, the waste conditioning means, and all functions of the previous inventions will take place in one container, except for the flush fluid filters and electrical switches. The same method of waste water separation from flush fluid is utilized within a confined unit; however no external sewer lines or flush fluid provider lines need be connected outside of the container. This arrangement allows for the placement of a toilet inside an existing building without having to provide collection lines for the toilet waste, while flush fluid is recycled and continuously replenished as it is consumed over several flushings and waste water extractions.
Other devices related to oil flush toilets and self-contained waste treatment toilets include U.S. Pat. No. 6,487,731 to Houde and U.S. Pat. No. 6,442,768 to Hammond. The Houde device describes an oil toilet wherein oil is utilized as a sealant to isolate unpleasant odors produced by waste materials in the toilet. A cleaning means comprising a stop valve and a discharge valve removes waste materials from the toilet while reusing a substantial amount of the oil in the toilet. The Hammond device describes a self-contained toilet that utilizes compressed air and a flush liquid to remove waste, whereby water is not consumed in the process. Within the toilet unit is a heater for dehydrating the waste and a grinder for grinding the waste into a powder, wherein the powdered waste is recovered by a receptacle for later disposal. While providing new and unique waste removal systems, the Houde and Hammond devices do not describe the functional elements of the present invention, which utilizes an oil flush system that separates and conditions waste for removal in a compact unit.
It is therefore submitted that the present invention is substantially divergent in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing oil flush toilet devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.